Brilliant! ( )

Henry Tibbett is a modest man with the serious title of Chief Superintendent of Scotland Yard. Behind his mild façade is a man with a shrewd mind, who sees more than people think and can solve any puzzle put in front of him.

When he receives a crossword puzzle, complete with cryptic clues and a note that more clues are to follow, he wonders if it is some sort of prank. Work is slow and so he starts to try and solve it. When it is completely done, he finds that it may be connected to a couple of deaths from the past. Deaths were considered suspicious yet never solved. It also seems to warn of more death to come.

Mingling with a small group of mystery writers, he finds that their main focus is murder. Also that there are connecting threads between them that go back for years...back to the times of the murders found in the crossword puzzle.

This is written in a traditional British detective style. The scene is at a large country estate with all the trimmings of posh accommodations, characters with quirks and mysterious back stories. Along the lines of Sayers, Christie and Allingham. Very enjoyable. ( )